Welcome to the Ravens Press Pass podcast. It is Monday, November fourth. The Ravens took down the Denver Broncos forty one to ten on Sunday, but they have to quickly turn the page because on Thursday night, the Cincinnati Bengals are coming to town for a prime time matchup. It's the Ravens Purple Rising game. We're going to break out our new Purple Rising helmets for the first time, as well as the uniforms to go with them. So we're excited about that, and the Ravens quickly turned the page
to this game on Thursday night. They held a simulated practice today and afterwards we had a chance to hear from some of the guys and head coach John Hardball.
Okay, good to see you guys. Appreciate everybody being here. Played well about twenty four hours ago, and I just went through a walk through practice for Thursday night night. So I told the guys we are hurtling towards Thursday night football against the Bengals at the Bank, So we're looking for to that we understand what a big game it is. Obviously they see it the same way, so we're gonna have to be at a very best, very important game. But we're locked in and preparing for that
right now. That's what we're doing. The questions John everybody else, I've not changed or done anything as far as your Thursday week operation. Well, yeah, I mean we're always tweaking things, you know. It's today's practice was different than other ones that we've had in terms of the reps and how I went about it. You always kind of adjust for you know, what you learn and where your team is
at and everything we use. We do use a lot of information that performance information numbers and things like that, and loads and things like that. We use that to set these practices up. But the main thing is we're working on the plays and the defensive calls and the special teams calls that we're gonna we're gonna need and run Thursday night, and that's where that's what we're working on.
Do you find these.
Division games are not easy to prepare Fornesday night, but a little bit easier from a staring point being almost short.
Week because there's so yeah, well, in that sense, you don't have to learn your opponent as much. You know you already you already know that you know the players, and you know the history. You know you've lived it. You go back and you studied again really hard. We were in here early, guys were in here last night. Coaches, Uh, coaches were in here this morning very early, and players got in early.
And and you just have to go to work.
You know.
It's it's it's a challenge, but uh, it's worthwhile and we're looking forward to it.
But omar playing so well after just one practice, might might you continue that trend going forward?
Well, we only have one practice at speed this week, so I guess we've got that going for us this week. Anyway, for the whole team. We'll see how it works for everybody. Yeah, well, you know, whatever, you got to do, whatever it takes. It's a long season. A lot of things happen. Guys prepare different ways.
Uh.
Sometimes guys have things that they're dealing with. Other time other times guys need rest. You know, you just you take it as it as it presents itself.
Travis Jones held out yet, it will not held out.
But with the kind of emergency bases where if you need it, we could go to work, like just give me a couple.
More days, right, we had we'd kind of hope for a certain number of reps if we needed them, and uh, you know they were. They're a good running team, so we went with the extra D line in that sense. But you know, he didn't have to go, and I thought those guys, kudos to the guys that that went and they did a great job be so likely.
On the injury report, was that something that happened during the game yesterday.
Is it any longer term.
Concern, Yeah, something he's dealing with. It's just with the short week. We'll just have to see how it works out here the next couple of days.
Lamark has been really good. I think leads the NFL and and passes a fifteen yards and more. Given the offense and all the sort of words you happened and how in bold and I guess do you guys feel in terms of that that's truely aggressive?
Well, I feel no different than we've felt all year about it.
You know.
It's uh, it's those plays are the plays. Sometimes it's a result of the play design. Sometimes it's you know, Lamar extending to play making stuff happen too. You've seen that as well, So it just kind of as you go it unfolds before you. Your personality is and offense, the things that you do well, the things you need to get better at, just kind of unfolds as you go and try to try to just keep improving. And I think our offense, all our whole team has done a great job of that.
Marcus Williams was put back and they'll starting lineup after not playing Cleveland.
Just what was your assessment that doesn't play in this performance.
Yeah, Marcus played really well. Thought the whole defense did. The coverage was really good. But yeah, Marcus had an excellent game. I started off the game, I mean, came right out of there the dp HAF and had that hit right to the line of scrimmage and great play, great tackle play, and numerous other really good plays throughout the game. Was in great position, discouraged a lot of throws downfield because of where he was at numerous times. I thought he played really well trying it.
Toward the end of the second quarter they had just scored.
You get the ball back with something like I don't know, forty five to fifty seconds and one time out you end up scoring on the Flowers touchdown.
But what goes into you're getting the ball coming out at halftime as well.
It was into your decision at that point whether it be aggressive in.
That moment or on it. Well, it's a good question.
It really starts when you're on defense and you're trying to manage the time in a way that you know you don't you don't call timeouts for for the offense, for their offense to give them time to go score. Or they had timeouts, we knew they would use them, but when it got to it got down towards where we thought we could get them stopped and you have a chance to get the ball back, you'd like to have it back, like with a minute or so as much time as you can give yourself a chance to
at least get a field. Well, that's the thinking. So we called those timeouts to try to get that back. I think we still had one left if I remember right, for our drive, which worked out really well for us. And yeah, we're trying to be aggressive. We want to go get points. You need points. You know, it's another possession, so you kind of have an opportunity to steal possession at the end of the half, especially when you're getting
the ball to start the second half. You get possessions on both sides of that thing, and it just couldn't have worked out any better for us.
I mean, that's the ideal when you.
Can put a touchdown and a touchdown and bracket halftime with touchdowns, that's that's the goal.
Which almost there any satisfact winning the challenge.
There was always winning a challenge other than just getting the ball on offense because of the turnover. Yeah, you know what I tell you what with our guys in the box, Daniel Stern and the people in the box did a great job of really taking a good look at that monitor we had that we had the pylon camera when when they saw the pilon when he saw the pilon camera shot upstairs, you know, he he he saw right away that it had a real good chance to win. So that was awesome. I mean that was
big for us. That was a huge, huge play in the game.
John Eddie Jackson just a numbers game and we would get more wind to be with hiss back, you had to leave the DG or that.
Decision to go down.
That's what it was.
I mean, it was nothing about the way the way he played. He played well and he was in good position. He made tackles. He's been playing well all year. It's just kind of the way the numbers are working out right now. Then you've got the versatility of different guys in spots on you know, he and I had a great conversation. He's he's a class act pro in every way. He wants to play, wants to contribute, and he will I see it the same way as Marcus.
He will.
He'll be out there and he'll be making a difference for us this year, and we'll just let the circumstances kind of unfold on that.
John, I think you guys are on like a per play places per play basis just about as efficient with motion as without. I think he cranked it up a little bit against Denver. But I guess what kind of goes into just the game planning approach each week to decide we want to be more static, we want to be more dynamic.
Well, I mean, I think you know, and obviously todder Be you know, give you he probably won't tell you anything, you know, so but there's two things is how it affects the defense, you know, and how they adjust to it, and so much you want to find out how they're going to adjust to it, and Denver is a good example of that.
What Seawan does.
I mean the first fifteen plays, they put a lot of motions out there, in formations and put the formation into the boundary just to see see what they can build for the rest of the game. But if you can create some kind of advantage, whether it's a numbers advantage of blocking advantage, sometimes it shows you if it's manners own. Sometimes you can create a problem with their coverage and get somebody open. I mean, all those things
are part of it. Sometimes it's just to put them on your heels a little bit, just to create a different picture. So you can hide a formation and run the same macy rod that you would run. But maybe they have a more difficult time identifying what's coming because they have to because there's moving parts in front of it. I think all those things are part of it. Sometimes it's could just come out, line up and play ball. So and I think Todd does a great job too
of building off of what you've been doing. Well, they've seen that they have to defend one thing. Now let's give them something off of that. That's the next step.
John, do you.
Expect anything in Prince's crazy at the deadline, know about twenty hours away or so, or you can conversation with Eric regularly or not.
He oh yeah, I mean he always brings stuff to me if it's if it's something that's real and legitimate. He communicates really really well with that, and we'll just see where it goes. I mean, it's about twenty four hours now, tell that, So now's the time and we'll see if something unfolds.
But right now, from my perspective.
I'm just thinking about the game, the game plan against Cincinnati and focusing on that.
On your about halfway through the season is how would you evaluate your rookies like Nick Wiggins, Roger Rose.
And Gardener guys that have been active in these games.
Yeah, I would say growing, you know those guys growing. Other guys too. You know, some guys have been hampered by some injuries or things like that. Some guys are waiting for their chance. You have other guys like Sanousi Kane doing it on special teams, Bo Braid Maryland player stepping up last few games on special teams, playing really well. The two players you mentioned, I think they're all doing really well, and I think there's a lot of room for growth.
Even this year.
During the season, you know, you probably make a lot of progress from the beginning to the end if you're playing your rookie year, and we expect those guys to keep doing that.
Keithan Mitchell, I know he's working his way back if still had some time in that window. How much is there a balance of you know, juggling roster spots and so forth, in wanting to get him out there.
Those things are all part of it.
But with Keaton it's going to be more about him being ready that we'll make the roster spot. You'll work for Keaton and when he's ready to go and compete and protect himself and all those different things, I promise you he'll definitely be out there.
Is there any chance of just thay, there's a chance.
There's always a chance, So you're saying there's a chance one more.
John Justin made all his kicks yesterday. But he had the one he had the extra point golf, the go off the uperade, and the other one kind of just inside the up right.
Is there anything that's a little bit off in that operation right now?
Or right? I know?
Nothing nothing wrong with the operation at all.
Did he make all those kicks he did. Okay, all right, appreciate you guys.
Next up, his quarterback, Lamar Jackson.
Personally, you've done a lot of Thursday night games.
Now, what's a big challenge for you being with the shortage?
Just having to come in right out the game and practice. That's probably it.
Though. You got bard with practicing.
You know, eat practice once last week, practice once this way. I mean, I feel like that's a routine you can get used to and and come out and perform the way you did last week.
Nah.
You know, my guy's out there working, so you know, I don't got no problem with working. Uh, but you know, if that's gonna help me recover faster, yeah, I'll be cool with it. H you were tomorrow. You still have that friendship person on you got from the fan.
What does it mean to you to get those type of gifts?
Cause I think you got a blanket rise season, you get some gifts.
Yeah, I got a blanket in a carpet. Oh yeah, yeah, carpet.
But yeah, it's I just l I just like to basically be honest with you. So I just took it off, you know, showered and stuff before I left, before I came in to day, I put it back on s dope yet appreciate you little more.
You had a couple of carries, but it seemed mostly I don't want to see you with a waiting you were on, you were focusing and getting you balld to down field.
Was there any part of yesterday where you didn't wanna run at different.
Times or you didn't wanna take any chances with.
Bets because of you know, wouldn't mispractice for during the week.
Nah, y uh, I, I just didn't feel like I had to, you know. Uh, things was working in our favorite guys were getting open, guys were catching the ball, lone protecting running backs of catching the ball, tight ends were Everything was just going our way and I I really didn't have to run only I think one scramble.
Yeah, yeah, that that's I had to though nobody was open. So that's all Lamar.
Is there anything in the say Flowers game that you've seen him take steps forward or change.
From last year to this year.
It's hard to pinpoint to to speak on like what he's changed to to make him even better. He's he's just he's one of a con I'd say he's just that type of player, you know, getting open, making guys miss after he catch the ball, scoring from anywhere on the field.
That's just him.
He's like Jay, He's not the biggest wide seek in the world. It seems like he has no hesitation about running any kind of route or anywhere the field exactly.
One of the things.
It makes him specter than you.
Absolutely, you know, you you want a dog at receiver. You know, my guy's just gonna run across that mettle. You don't wanna protec him, don't get me wrong, But a guy who knows what's gonna happen if he, you know, get hit the wrong way something like that.
A guy who's fearless.
Definitely, I see a lot of the subgection that you have to say reminds me of from them with Mark and things like down and they can change the.
Route and it always turns into a kind of aversion backyard football.
Do you do you really feel that connection with Day in that way.
I feel that connection with all my guys, to be honest, not just Zay. You know, Mark's still the same, you know, It's just it's not just him now, it's a lot of guys who are doing the same things. So it's just making our job a lot easier and it's just shine away from him.
But it's like nothing's changed.
Those guys still getting open, just like years in the past.
Mark, you talk about the game slowing down for you, and it's curious like how that manifests in a game in terms of going downfield more, whether it's to say, uh, you know, other receivers on the outside, those sorts of things. Do you do you feel sort of about, you know, just.
Poorer, empowered or bolden by by all.
The weapons you have, if you and because the game is slowing down.
For you, Oh yeah, absolutely, those guys that, Yeah, the game just slowing down. Me just watching film of seeing a lot of blixes and seeing different schemes of hot team holding blixes and trying to discus stuff for me, so me just studying my and studying a bad place you know as well, Me just studying and just memorizing everything. What I'm seeing is helping, is helping the process of the game for me.
Just everything just slowing down.
One of the the last thing against things is a shootout. You know they just score through to one point. Ysisfay too, what's your.
Mindset as you approach uh a game like that, going against the high scoring offense on.
The other side, Uh, the same any other game. You know, just be prepared to just going there and gonna be a Dollphight. It's a divisional game as well, and we already know. We just gotta score point. That's our job. And that's been the conversation all season long.
We have to score points.
That's all more.
When you do get a new receiver in midseason, like Deonte, how how long do you think it takes for the offense to feel like second nature to him? And how long does it take for you to get a real feel for maybe the little things that he likes to do.
I'm not gonna lie.
I really don't know how I feel for for a receiver or someone to come to another team and how fast it'll be, you know, how fast it'll be suitable for them in that new system. I don't know, but I feel like me just been a chemistry with him would be second to nine, you know. I feel like in the guy who comes to the team or whoever I'm working with, is gonna be second to nine, just cause I gotta feel for the game and I believe it So with those guys, because they're in the NFL.
Three more place one her places a bangles twice a year, how often.
Or how much they usually change in one game and next how they try and.
Do you and you were anticipating them showing you quite a few different looking the last game or not. Uh, the first game we played them this season, they were showing me all type of looks. So there's no telling what they're gonna be doing this game. Hopefully it'll be probably the same, you know, because we put up a lot of points.
I'll see uh on that. You know, the wheel route to justice yesterday board the snap kind of set them motion, brought them back, ends up working down the west sideline. I mean, did you know kind of before even snapped the ball that you had Denver's defense kind of worked right where you needed to.
I'll just say I knew I was going with the ball pre snap. Yeah, just from just looking at the defense and how they played out pre snap.
Next is cornerback Marlon Humphrey.
How's how's than you doing?
How to do that?
It's great?
Well, and you played in quite a few Thursday games. What's what's the biggest challenge? What do you do differently to try to be ready for Thursday game knowing that you're not gonna get as much preparation time.
Yeah, it's hard, l uh, a lot of mental work, but really big on the body. It's it's always seems like whoever can recover the fastest is usually the team that you know that looks the freshest. And uh it it's tough. It's just tough turn around, but you know it's uh the r the reward after is cool, you know if you went when when you win, uh to get the extra days off, but uh, you know thursdays about you know, recovery, mental work. So a little different twist than just a typical Sunday game.
What's the biggest challenge of going against the Joe Burrow heard the biggest challenges. Uh.
I mean he he trusts his guy. He likes his guys more than than he likes me. So that's that's the biggest challenge challenge. You know, most quarterbacks when they see it got kind of covered, they usually don't throw it. But Joe, he's like, even if this guy's covered, I think my guy can make a play. And you know, tho, those guys make a ton of plays. I think last game, there's a lot of contested catches and it seemed like they came down with you know a lot of those.
So you know it's gonna be a lot of uh, a lot of passing, great receivers and obviously, uh a guy like Joe.
You know, he.
Puts it on the money, he doesn't you know there y, you know what you're gonna get with Joe. I mean, ELI elite quarterback. So it's always a touch challenge.
Well maybe a.
Simple question, but how good it feel to get those two picks against.
Hamp for that? Shoot? Man, we were like so far away from that.
I don't even it's uh it's Cincinnati week, so I'm I'm ready to to to get some work in for Cincy.
How much motivation is the defense taking from the last since the game it was a high scoring event, you know you all taken taking motivation from that one.
Yeah, we felt like we should have lost, you know, I think that's what kind of what we talked about today. You know it's, uh, we won the game, but we we did not play well, I think especially the secondary alone. You know, it was like I said, it was a lot of contested catches, but you know, big plays, too many big plays. So we're we're we're hoping to tryna limit the passing attack and and get going. You know, we we wanna that's the biggest thing. You know, we've
been we've been searching. I think it's it's been a really good response in our room of you know, as Covin and Nowis said, you know, he didn't finished last and nothing. So with with that number being thirty two that that's not something we like, that's not something we wanna be.
And it's always a a tough challenge.
But you know, I think we got the guys for the job, and we're gonna keep working at it, keep working at it all the.
Way up until game time, and then let it loose Thursday night.
You feel like the Denver game was a step forward for the defense.
In the secondary.
Yeah, I thought it was. You know, I thought we I thought we played well. I wanted to keep uh them under two hundred. I know, right there at the end, I think they got it. But you know, we just gotta keep chasing the details.
You know.
I think it's it's bad when you know what you're being coached. If you're not don't have it to the t. That's what's kind of hurting us. So we we've you know, in our room, we've we've realized as players, you know, we gotta do it exactly how we're coached, exactly how we're doing it in practice to get it to go in the game.
We can't practice it all.
We this way, we can just coach this way, and then we get in the game is and it's not exactly how you just practiced it. So that's been the biggest thing. We've been talking about doing your one of eleven so many times this year. Just one guy's just not exactly where he's supposed to be, and that's where it's been hit. It's it's been hitting like ninety percent. When you watch other teams, you see people wide open here,
wide open here, doesn't get hit. But for us, it's been really making us get so detailed because it seemed like every time one guy's just supposed to be two yards outside of the hash, you're not two yards of hash, the ball goes there, you're not INSI leverage.
It's it's been so little, tiny, detailed.
It's made everybody tighten up their approach, tighten up their mindset and really just focus to just do only your job, your job only. And so it's it's been, uh, it's been very unique from that aspect. But it makes you focus. It makes you focusing and that's what we need.
Has it has it bothered you some of the criticism that Zach has taken after some of the more difficult keeping some performances.
I uh, I don't exactly know what's going on besides what kind of I get what I get told I I my only my only social media is Instagram Live after victory, So I haven't seen a lot, but I do know there feel like there's been some chatter and for me as a as a player, as no knowing
what's going on. I hate I hate seeing coaches get under scrutiny when it's the player's fault, you know, And I felt that there was you know, this ain't being coached this way, right, This ain't being this this and being this it's a little different, but it really sucks when what we're putting, the product we're putting out there isn't what we're being coached, isn't what we're practicing. And that's that's kind of what what hurts me you know
some of the players I've given up? Is that the coaches fault or did we practice it this week and then I got in the game and I didn't play it exactly how it was supposed to be and the results of a big play. And I hate I hate how you know, coaches get you know, I hate how that goes.
But that that that is the NFL.
You know, it's you know, the the person over it kind of gets whatever.
But it it is kind of what it is.
But I hate that just because you know, when it's when it's your when it's your fault. Sometimes while somebody's getting scrutinized it, Uh, that's never It's never a good thing.
Marlon.
I don't think we had a chance to ask you when Dean Pas joined the staff. You were one of the few guys who played for him. I know it was your rookie year. But him being here now a few weeks, what do you think he's maybe brought that has helped the defense or do you think will help the defense moving forward.
He's just brought an extra set of eyes, extra set of ears. He he's pulled guys to the side. It's a it's a real surreal moment for me. I remember when I was a rookie, Pease pulled me up to the office. It was like, look at every everybody else on the defense and then look at you, and it wasn't too good. So it's been a surreal moment for me, just kind of how far I've kind of become, how I've kind of been doing this job for a long time.
But I think uh Pie's coming in has been a really good, good help for us.
I think, you know, the knowledge he has there, and then being that Zach was already you know, communicating with them throughout the season, it's been really good. I think, just give it a freshet of oz on some of the things he said, and you know, he's he's doing this for the love of the game.
You know he was, and so that's what I really like.
So I think I think it's only helped us, But I've really felt like, you know, the past the past week or so.
It's he's really kind of started to help out a little bit more.
You're listening to the Ravens Press Past podcast. Also make sure you subscribe to this feed as well as the Louds feed. We'll be back with you against tomorrow as the Ravens continue the preparation for the game coming up against the Bengals.